Replacement for Talk 3 speaker cables

[johnwhit]

I'm looking to replace speaker cables and seeking an alternative to my Talk 3 cables. I require 2 x 7m lengths, preferably low impedance and not to bulky, obviously price matters as I need 14m. I've been looking at Kimber 4TC but I think it's recommended up to 4.5m only. Seeking more resolution, better soundstage but don't need more bass weight. Any advice much appreciated.

ATB,

John

[AlanS]

What is wrong with Talk 3 now?

[johnwhit]

What is wrong with Talk 3 now?

Very little for the money IMHO, just seeking an upgrade if I can find one.

John

[AlanS]

I went from Talk 3.1 to TQ black. It was different not better.

[johnwhit]

Thanks Alan, it's the earlier Talk 3 I have from the 90's I don't know if there's any real difference. It was the price and low impedance that attracted me, wanted a 5 speaker system and needed 30m IIRC. I was just thinking maybe something a little better for the front stereo pair for when I'm listening to music.

What did you find different?

John

[johnwhit]

Oh and I've just seen the price of TQ black:mental:

Perhaps I'll try some QED Silver Anniversary;)

John

[MCRU]

Get some black rhodium twist, £3.50 a metre what have you got to lose?

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Why not try some Van Damme from Mark Grant. Cheap, very well made and you can easily sell it if you don't like it.

[Canetoad]

I've tried all three, Black Rhodium, Talk 3 and Van Damme in my second system. Talk 3 easily sounds best in that system using AR28s speakers. :eyebrows:

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

I've tried all three, Black Rhodium, Talk 3 and Van Damme in my second system. Talk 3 easily sounds best in that system using AR28s speakers. :eyebrows:

Interesting. How would you say it sounds best?

[johnwhit]

Thanks for the suggestiions, I always thought the Talk 3 was a budget cable but it seems quite well liked. I think I need go give this some more thought.

ATB,

John

[Gromit]

Thanks for the suggestiions, I always thought the Talk 3 was a budget cable but it seems quite well liked. I think I need go give this some more thought.

ATB,

John

John - please don't let the Talk 3's lack of 'audiophool pricing' put you off. It's superb cable and I've absolutely no desire whatsoever to get rid of mine.

[johnwhit]

Thanks Richard, I think I just got the upgrade bug after changing a pair of interconnects. The Talk 3 has been in the system for 10+ yrs, maybe I should leave well alone and buy some music;)

ATB,

John

[Macca]

I moved from the old Talk 3 to Chord Odyssey 2 at great expense.

Made absolutley no difference whatsoever.

If it's working why mess with it?

[johnwhit]

I moved from the old Talk 3 to Chord Odyssey 2 at great expense.

Made absolutley no difference whatsoever.

If it's working why mess with it?

Well that's that sorted then, I'll leave well alone, thanks for the advice.

ATB,

John

[Canetoad]

Interesting. How would you say it sounds best?

For me it just gave the music more dynamics and drive over the Black Rhodium at least. It sounded a bit 2 dimensional in comparison. Van Damme is good too but I still felt I was getting more with the Talk 3.

I'll probably retry them all again with the Ditton 44s I just bought off Martin (Macca) to see which works best with them. They're all cheap enough to be able to make up a set of each for testing. :)

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Cheers Bernie. I might give the Talk 3 a try.

[julesd68]

Thanks Richard, I think I just got the upgrade bug after changing a pair of interconnects. The Talk 3 has been in the system for 10+ yrs, maybe I should leave well alone and buy some music;)

That's the very best thing you can do John - I bought the new Talk 3 from Paul at RFC and have been enjoying buying extra vinyl as a result of not spending silly money ...

[jandl100]

Yep, the Talk 3.1 is a superb cable at the price - if you fancy an upgrade from the old Talk 3 at a sensible price I can think of nothing better.

I much preferred it to TQ Black and Black Rhodium Twist.

[Gromit]

Yep, the Talk 3.1 is a superb cable at the price - if you fancy an upgrade from the old Talk 3 at a sensible price I can think of nothing better.

I much preferred it to TQ Black and Black Rhodium Twist.

Jerry - 'Talk 3' is the newer cable (ie the stuff available now) from Talk Electronics. Talk 3.1 is the old stuff made by the former Cable Talk company, just to clear up any confusion.

[jandl100]

:doh: !! Aha - OK - you're right, of course.

Here's what I had and liked very much -- http://referencefidelitycomponents.co.uk/products/speaker-cables/

-- in rather spiffing "British racing green"!

[DSJR]

I don't like to "talk" about it, but I do know the old CT wires rather too well for comfort (two years out of my working life I rather wish I hadn't had for various reasons, but there ya go..).

What I can say without prejudice is this - CT 3 and 3.1 is an excellent all round speaker cable, but the 4 and 4.1 were better sonically, repeatable easily in direct comparison, despite the copper inside being the same. the later fig 8 "Excel 4" which I now use is superb and easy to hide (I bought 20m before Christmas and it does turn up from time to time).

Chord Rumour and Odyssey is of the bright-n-shiny type. Fine for making midrange systems sound livelier, these sound increasingly scrappy and harsh as the system gets better. I love the expensive VDH "The Wind" that Marco uses, and I think it fair to say that on a far smaller scale, the CT 4.1 and E4 share a similar kind of presentation.

I think without directly comparing, that the new Talk Electronics (Kevin Edwards ex CT who created all their cables) "3" is like the Excel 4 with similar internal copper but with a small spacer and an outer jacket in the old "Concert" green colour - see Jerry's post above..

Speaking of the green hosepipe CT Concert, I sold and used the Concert 2.1 and can confirm that it's like the stuff I use, but better with bigger looser-bass speakers (PMC FB1's were well tamed and far less "woofy" with these cables)

PLEASE don't EVER use QED SA wire. It's total godawful shite of the finest order, severely squashing dynamics and making the high frequencies jar. How the fugg WTF kept giving it award after award I'll never know. It wasn't even profitable for the dealers to sell it either :scratch:

[jandl100]

What I can say without prejudice is this - Cable talk 3 and 3.1 is an excellent all round speaker cable, but the 4 and 4.1 were better sonically, repeatable easily in direct comparison, despite the copper inside being the same.

Noooooooo !!! http://yoursmiles.org/tsmile/no/t2604.gif (http://yoursmiles.org/t-no.php)

I tried the Talk 4.1 and I much preferred the 3! :D

[DSJR]

I disagree, and this with a wide variety of partnering equipment in the shop. Like I said, same copper and same tooling, just a different jacket material with the negative copper conductor cluster reversed in the "point 1" versions.

All irrelevant now, although you were using basically the 4.1 until recently in the new Talk 3 cables. I bet the dialetric is the same as the Simflex CT used along with the 2.5mm copper gauge, although the cable is constructed like the Theatre 2 we used to sell with an unused third conductor to space the two main ones apart...

[johnwhit]

All this Talk of cables:scratch: I think I'll just buy some more CD's:)

John